American Library Association report says book challenges soared in 2023

The American Library Association report released Thursday found that nearly half of the books challenged last year deal with LGBTQ themes or with race or racism, much like in years past. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Attempts to restrict library books continued to accelerate last year, according to a report released Thursday from the American Library Association. Overall, the number of individual titles challenged in both school and public libraries rose 65% from the previous year — the highest level ever recorded by the ALA.

The data paints a picture of how the fight over books is morphing. It shows what the ALA calls an "alarming" increase in the number of titles challenged last year. That was especially the case with public libraries, where challenges rose by 93% compared with 2022. School libraries saw an 11% increase.